- Title: GAMES-EUROPE/VENUES Azerbaijan ready for opening of inaugural European Games
- Date: 12th June 2015
- Summary: BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (JUNE 12, 2015) (REUTERS) LARGE AZERBAIJAN FLAG ON BALCONIES OF BUILDING IN ATHLETE'S VILLAGE
- Embargoed: 27th June 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Azerbaijan
- Country: Azerbaijan
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVACM792WO59KKV2YLMWDPL9PNHP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The European Games, the first major multi-sports event of the continent, are set to kick off in Azerbaijan's Baku on Friday (June 12) as gleaming new sports venues await 6,000 athletes, lured by qualification spots for next year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The Azeri capital has pulled out all the stops as it looks to establish itself as a viable option for international sports events with a string of impressive venues, including a brand new Olympic stadium that will see just two days of competition.
Azerbaijan, however, is under criticism over its human rights record and some rights organisations have said their officials have been barred from entering the country during the Games.
The athletes will compete in 20 sports, 16 of which are on the Olympic programme and 12 of them offering qualification spots, indirect or direct, for next year's summer Olympics in Brazil.
Organisers have also added several experimental events, including 3x3 basketball, beach football and mixed pair aerobic gymnastics among others, with the European Olympic Committees, the umbrella organisation, eager to test them for possible future inclusion in the Olympics proper.
Athletics and swimming, two of the biggest sports on the Olympic programme, however, have refused to send their top athletes to the event, opting to send lower-ranked teams, robbing the Games of additional exposure.
Azerbaijan, on the outer fringes of the European continent, may not be the obvious choice but given its financial clout at a time when other major European nations struggled with the economic crisis, it was a safe choice.
Sparing no expense, the energy-rich nation on the Caspian Sea has spent more than a billion dollars to stage its biggest sports extravaganza to date, according to officials.
The Azeris have raced to complete preparations in less than three years with several spectacular venues sprinkled over the capital, including the national gymnastics arena and the brand-new 68,000-seater Olympic stadium.
With a future Olympics bid firmly in its sights, Azerbaijan wants to prove its ability to host a major international sports event of this size.
Azerbaijan, governed by President Ilham Aliyev since he succeeded his father in 2003, has been courted by the West because of its role as an alternative to Russia in supplying oil and gas to Europe. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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